Today we identify service articles published in Marketing, Management, Operations, Productions, Information Systems & Practioner-oriented Journals in the last months.
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Hermann, E., G. Y. Williams and S. Puntoni (2023): Deploying artificial intelligence in services to AID vulnerable consumers, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, (3709), pp.1-21
Despite offering substantial opportunities to tailor services to consumers’ wants and needs, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies often come with ethical and operational challenges. One salient instance of such challenges emerges when vulnerable consumers, consumers who temporarily or permanently lack resource access or control, are unknowingly discriminated against, or excluded from the marketplace. By integrating the literature on consumer vulnerability, AI for social good, and the calls for rethinking marketing for a better world, the current work builds a framework on how to leverage AI technologies to detect, better serve, and empower vulnerable consumers. Specifically, our AID framework advocates for designing AI technologies that make services more
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11747-023-00986-8 [Google]
Malika, M. and D. Maheswaran (2023): Busy or poor: How time or money scarcity cues differentially impact purchase decisions regarding service firms, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 51(3710), pp.1266-1283
Our research uniquely shows that scarcity cues, when effectively managed by the service firms, can lead to favorable purchase decisions. We investigate how service firms that are scarce on time resource (busy) vs. money resource (poor) are perceived differentially on the two basic dimensions of social perceptions: warmth and competence. Across four studies, we provide the first empirical evidence that busy service firms are perceived higher on competence and poor service firms are perceived higher on warmth. We also find that service firms that are both busy and poor have the highest purchase preference compared to either busy or poor service firms. In addition, purchase preferences are moderated by the consumption contexts (exchange vs. communal relationship domain). Managerially, our findings that scarcity cues influence purchase preferences can benefit the design and execution of marketing strategies.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11747-022-00922-2 [Google]
Ulrich, M. D. and M. L. Call (2023): Pay Premiums and Peer Spillovers: Unpacking the Value Proposition of Employing Stars as They Age, Journal of Management, (3711), pp.1
An open question among scholars and practitioners is whether and when the employment of star employees is likely to pay off. Addressing this query, we integrate insights related to star performers’ experiences of cumulative advantage and disproportionate bargaining power with insights from the careers literature to develop theory related to stars’ direct and indirect value creation and value capture as they age. Specifically, we first develop arguments that stars, as a function of their disproportionate status and bargaining power, will enjoy higher pay relative to individual performance (PRIP) in comparison to their non-star peers. Second, we argue that this difference in PRIP will be greater among older employees, as stars’ cumulative advantage is a progressive phenomenon that continues to widen the initial gaps in their PRIP relative to others over their careers. Next, countering the apparent implication that the value proposition associated with employing stars deteriorates as stars age, we find that the magnitude of stars’
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/01492063231210249 [Google]
Holz, H. F., M. Becker, M. Blut and S. Paluch (2023): Eliminating customer experience pain points in complex customer journeys through smart service solutions, Psychology & Marketing, (3712), pp.1
Scholarly understanding of customer journeys has evolved from a linear, single service provider perspective to encompass complex service delivery networks that involve multiple touchpoints governed by various service providers. This intricate setting often gives rise to experiential pain points for customers. To investigate this phenomenon within the context of airport services, our research employs critical incident and problem‐centered interviews as well as an analysis of 7192 online airport reviews. In Studies 1a and 2a, we explore the crucial pain points that travelers encounter throughout their airport journey. Complementing these insights, Studies 1b and 2b assess the impact of the identified pain points on travelers’ emotions. Building upon a classification of pain points into information, performance, and hospitality themes, Study 3 further examines how smart service solutions, as new technologies, can address and resolve these pain points, ultimately enhancing the customer experience (CX). By accomplishing these objectives, our work contributes a comprehensive classification scheme for experiential pain points in complex customer journeys to the academic discourse on customer journeys. Furthermore, it establishes a connection to the emerging field of research on the impact of smart service solutions on the CX.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.21938 [Google]
Li, X., W. Si and K. W. Chan (2023): Virtual agents that flatter you: Moderating effects of self‐esteem and customization target in e‐customization services, Psychology & Marketing, (3713), pp.1
As e‐customization services have grown in popularity, companies widely use virtual agents in such services to improve consumers’ online shopping experience. However, extant research has not thoroughly clarified the best way to leverage the use of virtual agents and involve consumers in the e‐customization process. Drawing on self‐enhancement and self‐verification theories, this research investigates the effects of an instrumental social influence tactic employed by virtual agents—specifically, flattering feedback—and the pivotal roles of consumers’ self‐esteem and customization target when evaluating and using e‐customization services. Through four experiments that simulate e‐customization experiences using different products, we find that the effect of virtual agents’ flattering feedback on customization outcomes (i.e., word‐of‐mouth, product interest, and actual purchase) is contingent on consumers’ self‐esteem. Among consumers with high self‐esteem, flattering (vs. generic) feedback from virtual agents in the e‐customization process elicits more positive customization outcomes. In contrast, the opposite is true among those with low self‐esteem. Moreover, consumers’ process involvement mediates the interaction effects, and the interaction effects are attenuated when consumers customizing the product for others (vs. oneself). Our work contributes to online customization research by unveiling the mechanism and boundary conditions of the potentially double‐edged effect of virtual agents’ flattery.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.21943 [Google]
Silber, D., A. O. I. Hoffmann and A. Belli (2023): When “good enough” is not good enough: How maximizing benefits financial well‐being, Psychology & Marketing, (3714), pp.1
A maximizing decision‐making style is generally associated with lower individual well‐being. That is, even though maximizers invest more time and resources in finding the best option and achieve better outcomes than satisficers, they are still more dissatisfied with those outcomes. Contrary to this general consensus that maximizing is negatively associated with overall well‐being, across two studies we show that this decision‐making style is actually
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.21936 [Google]
Ruiz‐Equihua, D., J. Romero, L. V. Casaló and S. M. C. Loureiro (2023): Smart speakers and customer experience in service contexts, Psychology & Marketing, 40(3715), pp.2326-2340
The use of artificial intelligence‐based devices, such as smart speakers, is rising in frontline services, as such devices can perform several tasks for customers. However, little is known about customer responses to interactions with smart speakers that occur during service encounters. This research encompasses three studies intended to enhance our currently scarce knowledge of how customers respond to interactions with smart speakers during service encounters. Focusing on the hospitality industry, the first study shows that smart speakers improve evaluations of the hotels that use them in terms of customer ratings and positive affects. The second study demonstrates that automated social presence and psychological ownership feelings are key mechanisms that explain the development of valuable customer responses. The third study, which uses virtual reality, suggests that better actual behaviors are exhibited by people who appreciate the incorporation of smart speakers into services. Thus, the findings indicate that smart speakers improve service experiences, especially if used to carry out hedonic tasks usually performed by employees.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.21907 [Google]
Borghi, M., M. M. Mariani, R. P. Vega and J. Wirtz (2023): The impact of service robots on customer satisfaction online ratings: The moderating effects of rapport and contextual review factors, Psychology & Marketing, 40(3716), pp.2355-2369
Recent research has established a positive relationship between the use of service robots powered by artificial intelligence in hospitality firms and customer satisfaction online ratings, a particularly important form of electronic word of mouth. However, it is not clear if and how this relationship is augmented or diminished by moderating factors. In this study, we examined four potential moderators by using machine learning and natural language processing techniques to analyze 20,166 online reviews of hotels that had implemented service robots. We had four key findings. First, a positive service robot‐satisfaction rating relationship was further enhanced by improved customer‐service robot rapport during the service encounter. Second, higher customer effort focused on service robots in a review reduced the service robot‐satisfaction rating relationship. Third, posting reviews using a mobile device (vs. other devices) showed higher satisfaction ratings. Finally, customers’ prior experience in writing online reviews was unrelated to the service robot‐satisfaction rating relationship. Taken together, these results suggest that service robots should be designed to be interactive and encourage customers to build rapport, for example, by service robots engaging in conversational flows. Moreover, customers should be nudged to use their mobile devices to post timely reviews on their positive human–robot interactions.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.21903 [Google]
Li, C. and B. Larivière (2023): The more extroverted the better? Unraveling the complex relationship between service robots’ personality and the service robot experience, Psychology & Marketing, 40(3717), pp.2370-2386
This study combines the customer experience, service robot, and communication literatures to explore how a service robot’s personality affects the overall service robot experience. It considers individual (here, the customers’ extroverted vs. introverted personality) and situational (here, hedonic vs. utilitarian service settings) contextual factors, and three specific service robot experiences (here, warmth, competence, and discomfort). A pretest (n = 81) shows that a robot’s personality (here, extroversion vs. introversion) can be shaped using verbal and nonverbal cues in the service robot design. Applying Complexity and Configuration Theories and using the novel fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis and necessary condition analysis (NCA) techniques, the main study (n = 279) reveals the complex impact of the service robot personality on the overall service robot experience. Unlike conventional methods (e.g., SEM and regression) yielding averaged results, our findings show that various configurations with both introverted and extroverted robot personalities can equally lead to positive service robot experiences, based on the individual and situational context in which customers are embedded and the extent to which warmth, competence and discomfort are perceived. Hence, the more extroverted is not always better. Finally, the NCA findings reveal the minimum competence level that is required to obtain a certain level for the overall service robot experience. By understanding the intricate link between robot personality and its context, this research helps companies in strategically enhancing the service robot experience.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/mar.21896 [Google]
Liu, N., W. van Jaarsveld, S. Wang and G. Xiao (2023): Managing Outpatient Service with Strategic Walk-ins, Management Science, 69(3718), pp.5904-5922
Outpatient care providers usually allow patients to access service via scheduling appointments or direct walk-in. Patients choose strategically between these two access channels (and otherwise balking) based on the trade-off of appointment delay and in-clinic waiting. How to manage outpatient care with such dual access channels, taking into account patient strategic choice behavior, is a challenge faced by providers. We study three operational levers to address this management challenge: service capacity allocation between these two channels, appointment delay information revelation via the choice and design of online scheduling systems, and a walk-in triage system that restricts the use of walk-in hours only for acute care. By studying a stylized queueing model, we find that neither a real-time online scheduling system (which offers instant access to appointment delay information at time of booking) nor an asynchronous online system (which does not directly provide delay information) can be universally more efficient. Although real-time systems appear more popular in practice, asynchronous systems sometimes can result in higher operational efficiency. Under the provider’s optimal capacity allocation, which scheduling system is more efficient hinges on two key factors: the patient demand–provider capacity relationship and patient willingness to wait. For the walk-in triage system, we find that it may or may not be beneficial to adopt; the provider’s own cost trade-off between lost demand and overtime work is the key determinant. Our research highlights that there is no one-size-fits-all model for outpatient care management, and the best use of operational levers critically depends on the practice environment. This paper was accepted by Jayashankar Swaminathan, operations management. Funding: S. Wang’s work was supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 72001220 and 71931008]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4676.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4676 [Google]
Gan, J., G. Tsoukalas and S. Netessine (2023): Decentralized Platforms: Governance, Tokenomics, and ICO Design, Management Science, 69(3719), pp.6667-6683
Traditional two-sided platforms (e.g., Amazon, Uber) rely primarily on commission contracts to generate revenues and fuel growth, whereas their decentralized counterparts (e.g., Uniswap, Filecoin) often forego these in favor of token retention. What economics underpin this choice? We show that with properly designed initial coin offerings (ICOs), both mechanisms can independently alleviate market failures at the initial fundraising stage and incentivize long-term platform building. However, they achieve this in different ways. Although commission contracts often lead to higher profits for founders, token retention leads to higher service levels, benefiting the users and service providers. In essence, token retention surrenders a fraction of earnings to better align with the tenets of decentralized governance. Combining both mechanisms can add value, but only in relatively limited cases. These findings offer guidance and a possible rationale for why platforms may want to favor one mechanism over the other or use both. This paper was accepted by Will Cong, Special Section of Management Science: Blockchains and Crypto Economics. Funding: This work is funded by the Mack Institute at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.02076.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.02076 [Google]
Dong, Y., S. Song and F. Zou (2023): Mobile Payment Services, Government Involvement, and Mobile Network Operator Performance, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 25(3720), pp.2002-2020
Problem definition: Recent developments in mobile payment services (MPS) have shown an increasing role of mobile-government (m-government) initiatives in improving the market performance of mobile network operators (MNOs) and financial inclusion. High costs and operational challenges have discouraged MNOs from fully committing to the development of MPS, but government involvement under m-government may increase MNO user bases by providing the scale and scope necessary to incentivize MNOs. Academic/practical relevance: Extant research on mobile payment has ignored the role of governments as important stakeholders in the mobile financial ecosystem. Our research contributes to the literature by examining the role of governments as business partners in MPS launches and the effect of government involvement on MNO user bases. Methodology: Using a unique proprietary data set from the mobile network industry, we design a quasi-experiment to examine the causal effects of government involvement in MPS on MNOs’ total mobile connections. More importantly, we adopt a changes-in-changes (CIC) estimation approach to further establish nonlinear treatment effects of government involvement based on MNO size and MPS type. Results: We find that government involvement expands MNO user bases beyond MPS launches. Such effects increase with MNO size and MPS variety, favoring larger MNOs and, to a certain degree, MNOs with diverse offerings of government-involved MPS. Government involvement in MPS launches also directly benefits MNOs with microloan services. In addition, government regulations and policies to encourage financial inclusion can also expand MNO user bases. Managerial implications: Governments play a critical role in promoting technologies and financial services both as a regulator and as a business partner. To improve market performance, MNOs should take advantage of the scale and scope of government services by partnering with government agencies in launching MPS. MNOs should also embrace government policies and regulations to increase user bases. History: This paper has been accepted for the Manufacturing & Service Operations Management Special Section on the Interface of Operations, Finance and Technology. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.1068.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.1068 [Google]
Li, Y., L. X. Lu and S. F. Lu (2023): Does Social Media Dominate Government Report Cards in Influencing Nursing Home Demand?, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 25(3721), pp.2085-2105
Problem definition: Social media has become an indispensable platform for disseminating quality information to consumers across various service sectors. Recently, it has extended its influence to healthcare services, which traditionally relied on government report cards to disclose standardized quality information to the public. This article explores the impact of social media on consumer demand for healthcare services and compares its effectiveness with government report cards. Methodology/results: We analyze quality ratings of U.S. nursing homes collected from two information channels: (1) consumer ratings on Yelp and (2) government ratings on Nursing Home Compare, both of which adopt a five-star quality rating scale and are accessible on the Internet. We employ the method of difference-in-differences with continuous treatment intensity and instrumental variables to analyze the data. Using nursing home resident admissions as a proxy for consumer demand, we find that higher Yelp ratings led to higher consumer demand, particularly among Medicare-covered consumers. Furthermore, the effect of Yelp ratings was primarily driven by extreme ratings (one-star or five-star), as opposed to neutral ratings. We also find that Yelp ratings exerted a stronger effect on consumer demand than government ratings. This dominance of Yelp ratings over government ratings was observed primarily in markets with high Yelp penetration or markets with low and medium consumer education levels. Although higher Yelp ratings were associated with increased net incomes, we find little evidence that nursing homes made quality improvement in response to their Yelp ratings. Managerial implications: We recommend that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recognize social media platforms as valuable sources of information and collaborate with reputable platforms, such as Yelp, to promote public awareness of government report cards like Nursing Home Compare. Moreover, we advise nursing home operators to proactively manage their reputation on social media by promptly addressing consumer complaints and implementing quality improvement measures. Funding: Y. Li was supported by the Shanghai Sailing Program [Grant 22YF1451000] and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities. S. F. Lu was supported by the Gerald Lyles rising star fund. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0303.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0303 [Google]
Huang, H., N. Sunar, J. M. Swaminathan and R. Roy (2023): Do Noisy Customer Reviews Discourage Platform Sellers? Empirical Analysis of an Online Solar Marketplace, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 25(3722), pp.2195-2215
Problem definition: Customer reviews are essential to online marketplaces. However, reviews typically vary; ratings of a product or service are rarely the same. In many service marketplaces, including the ones for solar panel installations, supply-side participants are active. That is, a seller must make a proposal to serve each customer. In such marketplaces, it is not clear how (or if) the dispersion in customer reviews affects the seller activity level and number of matches in the marketplace. Our paper examines this by considering both ratings and text reviews. To our knowledge, this is the first paper that empirically studies how the review dispersion affects a seller’s activity level and the number of matches in an online marketplace with active sellers. Distinct from literature, we examine the relationship between the review dispersion and supply-side activities in an online service marketplace. Methodology/results: We collaborated with one of the largest online solar marketplaces in the United States that connects potential solar panel adopters with installers. We obtained a unique data set from the marketplace for 2013 − 2018. We complement this with public data sets. Our analysis uses traditional econometrics methods, a clustering method, and the deep-learning-based natural-language-processing model BERT developed by Google AI. We find that the dispersion in customer reviews has a significant and inverted U-shaped relationship with an installer’s marketplace activity level. Intuitively, a marketplace operator would favor having more sellers with perfect ratings. In contrast, we identify a significant and inverted U-shaped relationship between the market-level review dispersion and transactions. Managerial implications: Our paper provides key insights to marketplace operators and sellers. We find that in contrast to general belief, an operator can improve its market transactions by keeping/promoting sellers with low ratings or avoiding (negative) review filtering. Furthermore, sellers’ implementation of “rating gating” to avoid negative reviews may backfire for them by reducing their matches. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0104.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/msom.2021.0104 [Google]
Guo, X. and B. Jiang (2023): Inventory Sharing Under Service Competition, Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 25(3723), pp.2333-2351
Problem description: In many markets with demand uncertainties, competing retailers may share inventories for common products that they offer consumers. This paper examines how competitors’ product sharing affects their inventory and service-quality decisions. The existing literature has mainly focused on inventory sharing among independent retailers who do not compete with each other. Our research aims to fill the gap in this literature by investigating the tradeoffs of inventory sharing between retailers who directly compete for customers based on service quality. Methodology/results: We develop a game-theoretical model in which two retailers selling a common product from the same manufacturer compete for customers by offering differentiated services together with the product. Each retailer faces stochastic demand that increases in its service quality and decreases in the competitor’s service quality. When a retailer runs out of stock of the product, it may replenish its inventory directly from the manufacturer and/or request the competitor’s excess inventory if they have an inventory-sharing agreement. We find that inventory sharing may soften or intensify service competition, depending on the transfer price for the shared inventory. Specifically, when retailers agree to share inventory, their service levels decrease in the transfer price if their preseason inventory levels are exogenous, but are nonmonotone in the transfer price if the retailers endogenously choose inventory levels. Moreover, our analysis reveals that the retailers’ equilibrium inventory levels will increase in the transfer price and can be higher or lower than their levels in the case without inventory sharing. We also find that with exogenous inventory, the retailers prefer to share inventory at the highest nonmoot transfer price, whereas with endogenous inventory, the retailers may prefer not to share inventory, even at the optimal transfer price, when the level of competition and the preorder cost are high. Finally, we show that with service competition, inventory sharing cannot achieve full coordination under any transfer price. Managerial implications: When deciding whether to share inventory with competitors, managers should consider not only the benefits of inventory pooling, but also the strategic effect of sharing on the firms’ inventory choices and service levels. Funding: X. Guo has received research support from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong [RGC Reference 15501820]. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2020.0584.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/msom.2020.0584 [Google]
Manchiraju, C., M. G. Sohoni and V. Deshpande (2023): It’s not simply luck: The impact of network strategy, schedule padding, and operational improvements on domestic on‐time performance in the US airline industry, Production & Operations Management, 32(3724), pp.3559-3574
Airlines showcase their on‐time performance (OTP), a globally accepted operational performance metric, to demonstrate punctuality, service reliability, and attract air travelers. Airlines can adopt passive strategies, such as “schedule padding,” and active strategies, such as making “operational changes/improvements,” to improve their OTP. While there is a high degree of variation in airlines’ OTP from year to year, it is unclear if and the extent to which airlines’ active or passive actions impact their OTP because of factors, like weather, outside an airline’s control. We develop a framework in this paper to study the impact of these active and passive actions on the OTP of airlines. Additionally, we study the effect of these strategies on OTP rankings, routinely used to compare airlines. Our methodology builds on the structural estimation model developed in prior literature and replicates the typical schedule planning process observed in the airline industry. We use an 11‐year panel data of flights operated by US domestic carriers from 2005 to 2015 to measure OTP changes, schedule padding, and operational changes. Broadly, active actions include (i) changes to the airline’s network structure (e.g., flight routes and schedules) and (ii) other operational changes to improve flight performance (operational improvement). We demonstrate through our analysis that operational improvements have the highest association with both the change in OTP and OTP rankings of airlines, followed by schedule padding; the impact of network changes on OTP and OTP rankings is the lowest. Our framework also accounts for the impact of competition on an airline’s OTP ranking. We show that while an airline’s own actions can improve its OTP ranking, a competitor’s action may negatively affect the ranking. In fact, a competitor’s passive strategy of schedule padding may have a higher impact than an airline’s own active strategy of changes in network structure. Our results also indicate that the potential impact of operations improvements is the highest for full‐service airlines and the lowest for leisure airlines. Furthermore, we show that the impact of operational improvements and buffer adjustments decreases with an increase in the variability of the travel time of a route.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/poms.14050 [Google]
Wang, X. and Q. He (2023): Optimal capacity sizing of park‐and‐ride lots with information‐aware commuters, Production & Operations Management, 32(3725), pp.3614-3633
We study capacity sizing of park‐and‐ride lots that offer services to commuters sensitive to congestion and parking availability information. The goal is to determine parking lot capacities that maximize the total social welfare for commuters whose parking lot choices are predicted using the multinomial logit model. We formulate the problem as a nonconvex nonlinear program that involves a lower and an upper bound on each lot’s capacity, and a fixed‐point constraint reflecting the effects of parking information and congestion on commuters’ lot choices. We show that except for at most one lot, the optimal capacity of each lot takes one of three possible values. Based on analytical results, we develop a one‐variable search algorithm to solve the model. We learn from numerical results that the optimal capacity of a lot with a high intrinsic utility tends to be equal to the upper bound. By contrast, a lot with a low or moderate‐sized intrinsic utility tends to attain an optimal capacity on its effective lower bound. We evaluate the performance of the optimal solution under different choice scenarios of commuters who are shared with real‐time parking information. We learn that commuters are better off in an average choice scenario when both the effects of parking information and congestion are considered in the model than when either effect is ignored from the model.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/poms.14053 [Google]
Queiroz, M. M., S. Fosso Wamba, S. C. F. Pereira and C. J. Chiappetta Jabbour (2023): The metaverse as a breakthrough for operations and supply chain management: implications and call for action, International Journal of Operations & Production Management, 43(3726), pp.1539-1553
Purpose: The metaverse development is in the early stages in most organizations and supply chains. There has been exponential growth in metaverse investments by leading tech and other types of companies and governments worldwide. This article aims to shed light on the topic by providing detailed insights for the operations and supply chain management (O&SCM) community concerning the potential, opportunities and challenges associated with the metaverse. Design/methodology/approach: The authors mapped 15 benefits and 15 challenges regarding metaverse in O&SCM-related fields from the literature, which in turn were empirically tested by a panel with 150 experts from more than 12 countries, from operations and supply chains and with experience in metaverse technologies. Findings: The authors found notable similarities and differences between metaverse adopters and non-adopters in the O&SCM. Accordingly, some benefits and challenges are expected before and after the implementation, but it’s still relevant. In contrast, there are ones that change their importance after the implementation. Research limitations/implications: First, this paper points out the need for an urgent call for action to develop high-quality research on the interplay between metaverse and O&SCM. Second, the metaverse will reshape several established business models by offering new products and services, consequently resulting in the remodeling of O&SCM. Third, our paper provides a call for action to engage the community of scholars and practitioners to consider the metaverse as one of the last frontiers of O&SCM in the digital age. Originality/value: This paper is one of the first that investigates the metaverse benefits, challenges and expectations in the O&SCM. Also, it provides robust directions by an empirical approach to the metaverse as a new and important research stream for O&SCM and related fields. The authors provide a prospective research agenda that scholars and practitioners could use as a roadmap to capture metaverse opportunities in O&SCM.
Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/IJOPM-01-2023-0006 [Google]
